I am waiting for the world to bite me, but it hasn't yet.
Getting a frame for a laser cutter cost like $250 for the frame and then the electronics are more on top of that. We decided to try and go cheaper and we have so far succeeded. It isn't finished yet, currently it is a set of parallel rails with sleds that are controlled by GRBL, but soon it will be a full laser cutter.
That or we have overlooked something and the whole thing is a waste of time.
We shall see.